Blasting mat



Jan. 18, 1955 J, s, MAZZELLA 2,699,803

BLASTING MAT Filed March 2, 1954 ffi'yg United States Patent *O 2,699,803 BLASTING MAT Joseph s. Mazzella, New York, vN. Y. Application March 2, 1954,Seral No. 413,628 `t; Claims. `(ci. 139-425) This invention relates to "blasting mats, and themain object isthe `provisionof certain `new and useful improvements in the manufacture of such mats `whereby their utility in stoppingttlyinglfragments of rocks or the like is `substantially enhanced. t

Another object ofthe invention is the provision of an improved woven blasting mat, made in part of a single length of liexible wire or cable and in part of transverse inserts of the same material, whereby the strength and resistance of the mat are increased without diminishing its exibility. f

The above broad as well as additional and more specie objects will be clarified in the following description wherein characters of reference refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing s intended solely for the purpose of illustration and 'that it is therefore neither desired nor insofar as they vention.

Referring brietly to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a laid out or plan view of a blasting mat embodying the improvements presented by the present invention, broken longitudinally and transversely to indicate that the mat may be of any length or width.

Fig. 2 is a laid out view of one of the transverse strengthening inserts, per se.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral indicates the completed blasting mat, which is formed of a single length of stranded wire or cable 11 (except for the inserts to be described below), the two ends of which are shown at 12 and 13. Assuming that the end 12 is laid down as the starting end of the wire in weaving the mat, the first or left-hand end woof of the mat is laid down, leaving a bight 15 at the top edge. The wire is then doubled back to form the second woof 16 close to the first or left-hand end Woof 14, leaving a loop or bight 17 at the bottom edge of the mat. The closely spaced woofs 14, 16 thus form the first pair of a plurality of spaced pairs of woofs, that is, the iirst of a plurality of two-stranded woofs, of the completed mat. Through a bight 18 at the top edge of the mat, the wire is carried down to form the third Woof 14a which is also the rst strand of the second of the twostranded woofs, The fourth, ascending, woof or strand is then laid down, with the loop 17a formed` at the bottom. Thus the second of the two-stranded woofs is formed. Repeating the operation, the two-stranded woofs 1417, 16b, and 14e, 16C, and so on, are formed up to the end pair 14x, 16x, always providing the loops 17a, 17b, 17a` etc. to and including the right-hand end loop 17x, along the lower edge of the mat, and the bights 18a, 18b, 18e, etc. to 18x along the upper edge of the mat. The spacing of the pairs of woofs, or of the two-stranded woofs, is shown exaggerated in the drawing, for greater clarity. It is to be noted that in forming the right-hand end two-stranded Woof 14x, 16x, the bight is carried to the end of the strand 16x and is therefore wider than the other bights 18a etc., and that the strand 14x next to the end strand is an ascending rather than a descending strand.

From the upper end of the next-to-the-end strand 14x, the wire is carried longitudinally to the left toform` the rst warp 19 along the top edge of the mat. `Reading woof fillers or from right to left, the warp 19 passes alternatelyunden and over the successive two-stranded woofspegtcleptat .and successive bights 22a,`

2,699,803 Patented Jan. 18, 1955 the left-hand end itpasses over both adjacent strands 14, 16 of the end woof and 14a, 16a of the next-to-theend woof. At the left-hand end the wire is passed under the Woof 14, 16, leaving the bightZl), and is then also passed under the next (to the right) woof 14a, 16a. Thereafter, from left to right, the wire is `passed alternately over` and under successive two-stranded woofs, forming the second warp 21. It is to be noted that the warps 19 and 21 are single stranded. At the righthand end of the mat, the wire is again doubled back to the left, leaving'the bight 22, to form `the third single warp 23. `In like manner, the desired number of single warps, up to and including the warps 24 and 25, are laid down, leaving successive bights 20a, 20b at the left 22b at the right. Although ve successive single-stranded warps 19, 21, 23, 24 and 25 are shown at the top edge of the mat, the number may be smaller or larger.

`Afterthe last single-stranded warp 25 is laid down and the wire Vis doubled back on the loop 20b, twostranded warps are provided therebelow for the body of the mat over the greater portion of its area, in the following manner. The strand 26 is laid down in the same manner as the warps 24 and 21, that is, it is passed, from left to right, under the first two woofs at the left. However, instead of passing the wire under the righthand end woof 14x, 16x, it is passed over them, and the next lower warp 27, after doubling back on the bight 22b, is passed under the end woof 14x, 16x. Thereafter, reading from right to left, the wire passes successively over and under the two-stranded woofs the same as and together with the next above woof 26, thus forming a double warp 26, 27. This process is continued downward through the mat, forming successive two-stranded warps through the body of the mat, like those shown at 26a, 27a, and through to the lowermost two-stranded warp 26x, 27x near the lower edge of the mat. After the latter warp has been laid down, successive single-stranded warps 24a, 23a, 21a, and 19a are provided through to the lower edge of the mat, the end of the wire being shown at 13. Both ends of the wire may be anchored in the mat in any desirable way, preferably by enlarging their diameters by means of wound tape or an attached plug, not shown.

The spacing between the two strands of each twostranded woof, such as, for example, the strands 14, 16, is about equal to the diameter of the wire 11. Transverse reinforcing or strengthening members are provided, made of similar stranded wire or cable, either in the U-shaped form shown at 28, Fig. 2, which is the preferred form, or in the form of single members or lengths of wire each equal in length to the length of the legs 29 and 30 of the member 28, not separately shown. The members 28 are inserted through the upper edge of the mat, with the legs 29 and 30 passing through the spaces between the strands of successive woofs, with the bights 31 of the inserts arranged along the upper edge of the mat. rThe legs 29 and 30 are of suicient length to reach at least to the two-stranded warp 26x, 27x, that is, the two-stranded warp nearest the lower edge of the mat. The extremities of the legs 29 and 3i) are also anchored by enlarging them, as with wound tape. Instead of the U-shaped inserts 28, twice the number of single lengths of wire or cable, equal in length to that of the legs 29 and 30, can be used, and they are inserted in the spaces between the strands of the woofs, with both ends of each insert enlarged as before mentioned. In either case, a substantial transverse bracing results.

Obviously, modifications in form or structure may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

I claim:

l. A woven blasting mat substantially rectangular in outline comprising a single length of flexible wire having two-stranded woofs, the ends of each of said two strands being joined by a bight at one edge of the mat, the opposite end of each of said strands being joined at the opposite edge of the mat by a bight with the adjacent strand of the next successive Woof, the warps within the greater portion of the area of the body of Y j ing two-stranded woofs, the ends of each of said Y equal to 'the diameter of said wire, and a plurality of transverse inserts comprising identical lengths of wire inserted between said two strands. n

2. The mat set forth in claim 1, blghts joining alterf nate pairs of said insertsat one edge of the mat.

3. A woven blasting mat substantially rectangular in outline comprising a single length of exible wire havtwo strands being joined by a bight at one edge of the mat, the opposite end of each of said strands being joined at the opposite edge of thev mat by a bight with the adjacent strand of the next successive Woof, the warps of the mat comprlsing partly two-stranded warps and partly single stranded warps.

v.,4. A woven blasting mat substantially rectangular in v outline comprising a single length of exible wire having two-stranded woofs, the ends of each of said two strands being joined by a bight at one edge of the mat, the opposite end of each of said strands being joined at the opposite edge of the mat by a bight with the 4 adjacent strand of the next successive woof, the warps within the greater portion of the area of the body of the mat between said edges being two-stranded and passing alternately over every other of said woofs and under the inbetween woofs, a plurality of the warps adjacent said edges being single stranded.

5. The mat set forth in claim 3, the distance between said strands of each of said woofs being approximately equal to the diameter of said wire, and a plurality of transverse inserts comprising identical lengths of wire inserted between the said .two strands.

6. The mat set forth in claim 5, having bights joining alternate pairs of said inserts at one edge of the mat.

References Cited in the le Aof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

